Big welcome for Wiggins at JCB World HQ

JCB salute Olympic hero as Tour of Britain cyclists sprint past the company’s world headquarters

TOUR of Britain cyclists were today given a Great British welcome as they sprinted past JCB’s World HQ in Staffordshire.

The 100 riders – including Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins and 2011 road race world champion Mark Cavendish – were competing in Stage 5 of the race around the county, which started at Trentham Gardens and finished in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.

JCB’s World HQ was almost at the half-way point of today’s 147km stage, with the third and final Yodel Sprint taking place on the road outside the company’s Rocester plant.

As the cyclists sped past the factory they were saluted by a JCB backhoe loader painted in Union Jack colours and a fleet of other JCB diggers, some with Union Jacks draped from their buckets and forming a roadside guard of honour.

A JCB spokesman said: ‘We were delighted to welcome the Tour of Britain cyclists to the JCB World HQ and as one of UK’s biggest manufacturers, it was only fitting that they got a big British welcome from machines which help put the country on the map.’